Signal-light-control switch



Dec. 28 1926. 1,612,729

M. E. JOHNSON SIGNAL LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH Filed August 29 1.925

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INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

Ul lITED STATES MAR-K E. JGHNSON, OF SHAMOKIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIG-NAL-LIGHT-CONTROL SWITCH.

Application filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,399.

This inventio relates to circuit closers and has '101 its object theprovision of a novel switch designed for use incontrollin rent circuits,particularly for controlthe encrgizati'on of lights constituting asignal system for indica mg the direction of travel of an automobile orthe like.

in my co-pending application Serial No. 579,150, filed December 8, 1928,1 have disclosed a signal system in which use is made oi a pair atsignal lamps or lights mounted at the front oil the vehicle and anotherpair mounted at rear, which lamps are adapted to he energized at thewill 01 the op r gor and in a certain predetermined man ner toriudicatii a contemplated turn in the direction of travel of anautomobile, or an inteiuled stop. Furthermore the signal lamps arecapable of employment as parliing lights.

The object of the present invention is to provide a switch involving asingle control element and n'iovable into any one of a plurality 01positions for controlling the energization oi the signal lights.

A. more specific object is to provide a switch device in which thecontrol member or handle has what may be called a uni versal movementsomewhat similar to the movement of the gear shift lever on anautomobile. the pesitioi'i of the handle indicatat a glance just whichsignal lamps are energized.

An additional object is to provide a device of this character which willbe simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy toapply or install,convenient to operate, effic ent and durable in service, and a generalini- PL'OVOiIlGIllJ in the art.

With the above and other objects and ad vantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details o't construction and arranoeinent ot parts to behereinafter more telly. dcscribed and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device,

liigure 2 is a plan view 01 the base thereof showing the contactsthereon,

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 5 3 o1 Illigure 1, I

Figure 41: is a perspective view ot one type of contact, and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a pair of contacts of a differenttype.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letters A, B, C and Drepresent 1ncandescent lamps which are here represented as having oneterminal grounded at E, the lamps being, in actual practice, of thesingle contact ty 3c. The letter F indicates the source of current whichmay be the storage battery of the car.

in carrying out the invention I provide a switch device which comprisesa suitable base of insulating material and of any suitable size andshape. Any preferred means may be employed for mounting this base uponany preferred location in the vehicle. Secured to and rising from thebase is a shell or casing 11 which has its major portion 12 of anysemispherical shape and which has its bottom open and formed with anoutstanding flange 13 bearing upon and secured to the base as by screws1a or their equivalent. The shell is connected with the source ofcurrent F as by means of a conductor 15 connected with one of the screws14. At its top the shell is formed with tour radial slots 16. lVhilefour are specified, it should be understood that a greater or lessernumber may be provided depending upon the number of signal lights orother electrical devicesto be controlled.

Secured upon the base 10 toward one side thereof are contact members 17and 18 spaced apart as shown, and mounted upon the base at the oppositeside of its center is a 0011- tact 19. At a point 90 from these contactsthe base carries a contact 20 similar to the contact 19, while atanother point are provided contacts 21, 22 and 23 arranged closetogether but out of contact with one another. The detailed constructionof the contacts 17 and 18 is shown in Figure 5 from an inspection ofwhich it will be seen that each is formed from a single piece of metalout and bent to have an attaching portion 24 and an upstanding portion25 formed as an elongated tongue bent backwardly upon itself with thebend curved outwardly as shown at 26. Vhen the two contacts 17 and 18are arranged in operative relation as shown the outwardly curved bentportions 16 will define a flaring entrance to the space between thecontacts. All of the contacts 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 are identical inconstruction and, referring to Figure 1, it will be 56611 that each isformed from a single piece of metal cut and bent to have attachingportions 27 connected by a U-shaped portion 28, the sides of the U beingcurved outwardly as shown at 29 to define a flaring entrance.

The contact 20 is connected by a conductor 30 with the lamp C, while thecontact 18 is connected by a conductor 31 with the lamp A. The contact19 is connected by a conductor 32 with the lamp D and by a conductor 33with the contact 23. The contact 17 is connected by a conductor 34E withthe contact 21, and the contacts 20, 22 and 18 are connected byconductors 35, 36 and 37.

Located within the spherical portion 12 of the shell or casing is asemispherical metallic movably mounted member 38 with which is connecteda handle 39 carried by a stem 40 which passes through the slottedportion of the shell and through a spring washer 41 on the inside of themember 33, securing bein effected as by a nut 12, The washer 41 will actto hold the member 38 in firm contact with the shell so as to avoidlooseness. while permitting the shell to be moved into any selectedposition as determined by the slots 16.

In the operation, it will be seen that when the handle 39 is in itsintermediate position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the memher 38 willbe out of engagement with the contacts on the base. If the operatorwishes to energize the lamp C, he moves the handle 39 forwardly so asto, bring the edge of the member 38 into engagement with the contact 20,whereupon current will flow through the conductor 30 to the lamp, C. Ifthe operator wishes tov energize the lamps A and 0 he moves. the handle39 to the left so that the edge of the member 38 will enter between thecontacts 17 and 18, thus bridging them and feeding current through theconductor 31 to the lamp A and through the conductors 37, 35 and contact20 and thence through the conductor 30 to the lamp C. If the operatorwishes to energize the lamps B and D, he moves the handle 39 to. theright to bring the member 38 into engagement with the contact 19,whereupon current will flow through the conductor 32 to the lamp D andthrough the conductor 33, to the contact 23 and conductor connectedtherewith to the lamp B. To signal a turn to. the left both the lamps AandC are energized while to signal a turn to the right both lamps B andC are energized. Energization of the lamp G alone is effected only whenparking so that it will be unnecessary to make use of the usualauxiliary parking lamp. If the operator wishes to energize all thelights tor signalling an intention to stop, he just pulls the handle 39rearwardly so as to bring the member 38 into engagement with'thecontacts 21, 22 and 23 1 ated control switch adapted for use for a widevariety of purposes though particularly suitable for use as a directionsignalling system. It is believed that the construction, operation andadvantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art withoutfurther explanation.

l/Vhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make suchchanges in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will notdepart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a base of insulatingmaterial, a shell mounted thereon and having a partially sphericalportion, a partially spherical member slidably mounted within saidspherical portion of the shell and movable in a plurality of rightangular directions, and a plurality of contacts mounted upon the base inposition to receive and be bridged by the edge portion.

of said movable member, said contacts being formed to be engaged againstthe outer and inner surfaces of said movable member.

2. A device of the character described, a base of insulating material, ashell mounted thereon and having a partially spherical member slidablymounted within said spheri cal portion of the shell and movable in aplurality of right angle directions, and a plurality of contacts mountedupon the base in position to receive and be bridged by the a edgeportion of said movable member, said contacts being formed to be engagedagainst the outer and inner surfaces of said movable member, and certainof said contacts being arranged in groups and certain contacts of thegroups being in electrical connection with one another.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MARK E. JOHNSON.

